So the "Purple Tunnel of Doom" has been getting some press and we're getting some apologies and some free pictures of Obama and Biden. I'm personally trying to keep it all in perspective: that Obama is president, that what could have been a dangerous situation wasn't due to the goodwill and spirit of those of us trapped down there, and, as a coworker pointed out, that we were still a part of history... not all history is good, sometimes it means being part of a huge organizational snafu, like the Purple Tunnel of Doom, but it's something that'll be remembered for a long time... 10 years from now I can tell my nephew that, "Hey, I was one of those 4-10 thousand people trapped underground who never got in that they always talk about! Isn't that awesome?!" Sure, I'll never get the moment back, nor will any of the people who never heard anything more than the canon shots, but for my own sanity, I have to reframe this in my mind or I'll never be able to enjoy the moment and all that it means. Am I still pissed? Hell, yeah. Would I turn down a redo? Hell, no. But, in the end, there's nothing I can do about it...
As I kept telling myself the four cold hours I was trapped on Tuesday, "Find your Zen, Elizabeth, find your Zen."
Zen being found...
Friday, January 23, 2009
Moving on...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Elizabeth and the Tunnel of Doom
So, the boy and I were lucky enough to get purple tickets to the inauguration, got up at the ass-crack of dawn, walked from LeDroit Park, and patiently waited in line. In the 395 tunnel. For four hours. AND NEVER MADE IT IN.
Sufficed to say, I'm pissed. I'm sad. I'm angry. And an apology is not enough. I won't ever get this experience back... and I'm one of the lucky few who lives in DC, knew where to go when I finally got the fuck out of there, and got home just in time to see the speech. Thousands of people (way more than the four thousand bullshit number they are throwing out) were in the tunnel behind me and thousands were in front of me and all of us were turned away, many of whom were black Americans who had waited years for this day, never dreaming that it would be possible. And we couldn't hear a damn word from where we were crammed and jammed and standing.
I want a redo. And I want it NOW.
PS I have to say, though, that I am still a fairly happy camper... Obama is president, his speech was lovely (loved the shout-out to us non-believers!), I got to go the Mayor's Inaugural Celebration and see T.I. and Wyclef (thanks Em and Paul!!!!!!!!!!!), and Jenn and Tish came into DC for the event, so, I had lots of love and lots of hope. It's just my hope wasn't floating quite so high after I got out of that damn tunnel...
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